worming my chickens? help please

[awtumnsc]

My girls are about 3 yrs old now. They were tested and found positive for worms about 2 yrs ago. I have been using Wazine, every 6 months. But now I think one of my girls has 'Gape Worm', she appears fine in all aspects, just constantly gasping for breath. This has been going on for sometime now, over a yr, when it first started, she only 'gasped' when i would pick her up, so i didn't think much of it, and after awhile, i just tried not picking her up too often, anyhow, can she pass it on to the other chickens? how do i get rid of it in her? they are free range, only lock them in their coop at night, otherwise they have free run of about 2 acres. And no, they don't much care for thier chicken feed, when they have a buffet of grass, bugs and leftovers to choose from. Thanks for any help

 

[terryg]

To know for sure about gapeworm, run a fecal. The gapeworm eggs will be seen. All worms have intermediary hosts that the other chickens will eat, so it's likely that if one has them, others will, too, though possibly a very light load that doesn't bother them. It's not a good idea to use the same wormer regularly - you'll end up with drug resistant worms. I suggest you do a fecal and see what you're dealing with, if anything at all!
I recently interviewed Gail Damerow about gapeworm. See her answers here: http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2012/03/gail-damerow-visits-the-hencam-and-a-giveaway/

 

[dawg53]

If your bird had gapeworm, she would be dead by now. Perhaps there's been something stuck in her esophagus or crop all this time. A couple eyedroppers full of olive oil administered orally might help her puke it up of pass it on. When you give it orally, make sure you dont squirt it in all at once, let her swallow abit of it on her own. Then gently massage her throat in a downward motion just past her crop.
I'd stop using wazine if I were you and switch over to a broad spectrum wormer such as valbazen or safeguard liquid goat wormer.

 

[awtumnsc]

Thank you both. From what i just read on the 'gape worm", yeah probley not it. she eats well, lots of energy still, and no coughing or anything, doesn't even stretch out her neck, just the gasping for breath. Like i said, the only thing that really bothers me about it now, is she is doing it more often now. But i will try the olive oil in the morning, before i put her out. She is my problem chicken, she was egg bound a few months ago also. The egg was like a lrg waxy egg, but it was stuck half in and half out of her vent. And now in her 'fluff' area below her vent, she is almost rock hard, where my other girls seem kinda soft/squishy. I thought maybe she had eggs stuck inside her, but everything i read says she should be walking funny and lethargic and stuff if she were egg bound. As i stated, she is my problem hen, even our rooster dislikes her.